Doesn’t this country have anything better to do, like building mosques at sensitive memorial sights? I say let’s erect a bunch of Shintu temples at the Pearl Harbor site, call it a day and forget about porn prosecutions and Clemens.

from www.nypost.com – The “Rocket” has crashed and burned.

Former Yankees pitching ace Roger Clemens was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of lying at a congressional hearing about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs — and he now faces 30 years in prison.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner — once a lock to make the Baseball Hall of Fame — was charged with one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements, and two counts of perjury in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

After taking an oath and swearing to tell the truth, the flame-throwing righthander denied using steroids or growth hormones, despite conflicting testimony from his longtime trainer, Brian McNamee, and his teammate and close friend, Andy Pettitte.

“The Department of Justice takes referrals from congressional committees very seriously,” said US Attorney Ronald Machen, who is prosecuting the case in Washington.

“Our government cannot function if witnesses are not held accountable for false statements made before Congress. Today the message is clear: If a witness makes a choice to ignore his or her obligation to testify honestly, there will be consequences.”

If convicted of all charges, Clemens, 48, faces a combined maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine.

A defiant Clemens maintained his innocence.

“I never took HGH or Steroids,” he wrote on Twitter. “And I did not lie to Congress. I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court. Rocket.”

He then tweeted to numerous fans who used Twitter to cheer him on.

“Thx for that. Peace,” he wrote to a Twitterer named james_frinzi.

When one fan posted, “sad that some hate you so much they have to lie,” the Rocket responded, “There [sic] called Wallet chasers. All the best to you.”

His six-count indictment nearly completes the fall from grace of one of the most feared and effective pitchers of a generation.

Clemens was considered an all-time great until his name surfaced in the 2007 Mitchell Report, the result of a Major League Baseball probe by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell that detailed drug use in America’s national pastime.

Eager to clear his name, and clear his path to Cooperstown, Clemens, against better advice, testified voluntarily the next year before the House committee investigating the Mitchell findings.

There, Clemens squared off against committee members as if he were staring down a stubborn batter.

Question: “Did you during your playing career use steroids?”

Answer: “I never used steroids. Never performance-enhancing drugs.”

Question: “Anabolic steroids, which are performance-enhancing steroids, you have never used those?”

Answer: “That is correct.”

But the indictment charges, “In truth and in fact, as Clemens well knew when he made this sworn statement, Clemens knowingly received injections of anabolic steroids while he was an MLB player.”

McNamee told federal agents, Mitchell and the committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human-growth hormone from 1998 to 2001.

Clemens has maintained that McNamee was lying.

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s vindication,” Earl Ward, one of McNamee’s attorneys, said of yesterday’s indictment.

Pettitte, who pitched with the Rocket both in New York and with the Houston Astros, told congressional investigators that his teammate confided to him that he had used HGH.

“I think he misremembers our conversation,” Clemens said at the time.

A pitcher who was once as revered as Sandy Koufax or Whitey Ford, Clemens’ name is now as tainted as Mark McGwire’s and Barry Bonds’.

“He was a good pitcher,” said Yankee fan Garrett Bearsall, 32. “But who knows how much of that is due to steroids.”

The case against Clemens

Charges:

* Obstruction of Congress, 1 count
* Making false statements, 3 counts
* Perjury, 2 counts
* If convicted on all counts, faces 30 years in prison and $1.5 million fine

Possible witnesses:

* Andy Pettitte: Current Yankee and former teammate, who said Clemens confided in him about drug use
* Brian McNamee: Former personal trainer, who said he injected Clemens with steroids and hormones
* José Canseco: Says he told federal grand jury he never saw Clemens use steroids